No more levels: changes to primary school grading - what does it all mean?

In the past, schools would have kept you informed about your
child's academic progress using levels. In Key Stage 1,
the teacher may have told you your child was working towards a level 2. In
KS2, the teacher may have told you your child was capable of achieving a
level 5 in English in the SATs national tests in Year 6.

The levels system has now been abolished for the grading of national tests.
The government has also said schools should not use levels for their own
student progress tracking systems (previously, schools would track your
child's academic progress with the same levels system
used for external tests).

Why are levels being removed?

The government was advised to scrap levels by an expert panel it appointed to
review the national curriculum. The panel said the system of numbers and
sub-levels was confusing and had little connection to what was being taught
in classrooms. The government agreed and scrapped levels from the current school year.

What will replace them?

For national tests at primary school, there will be a numerical score instead
of a level: 100 will represent the expected standard. Higher scores will
indicate higher attainment and lower scores will indicate where pupils may be
falling behind expectations.

For internal tracking systems, the replacement of levels will be up to the
schools themselves. Some schools may use letter grades, or numbers as with
the old levels; others may opt for a different system altogether, using test
scores or more descriptive statements about what has been learned.

What do I need to ask my child's school?

If you're confused by the changes at your child's school, but you are not
sure what you should be asking, these questions might be a good starting
point.

Does the system enable a comparison of my child to others in the class and to
how students are performing nationally?

Is the system linked to age-based expectations of progress - ie what a child
should know by, for example, the age of seven?

How will I know if my child is falling behind, or if they are making
particularly rapid progress?

What support can I offer at home to help my child make progress?

Content provided by Michael Tidd who is deputy headteacher at Edgewood Primary School in Hucknall,
Nottinghamshire, an expert in improving curriculum and assessment, and a
leading educational blogger.